Monday, March 07, 2011

Spring Already?

Spring is soaking up all the rain clouds have to offer. Rainy days are rare in these parts, since 2005.

Time for nest cleaning. Anchored under the porch roof, I wonder which nest belongs to what bird? It's a duo nest, I suppose. One belongs to a Carolina Wren?

Almost two months have passed since I tended to Mary’s View. Clearly, I remember agonizing over ice and cabin fever like it was yesterday and already, we’re living a new season. Where does the time go?

Chloe will celebrate her 15th birthday in three months and the girl still has an attitude. She's telling me something in this photo.

Life is so busy right now that I forget the Licker Sisters need their photo opportunities. My normal fifteen-to-twenty-photo-posts are reduced to eleven today. Being a slacker, I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel! Although I long to be back to my normal 100+ photo shooting days, it won’t happen until after TheWedding.

The Wedding is all-consuming, being on my mind throughout the day and in the wee hours of the morning when I should be sleeping. Instead, I lay awake wondering if we have the cake ribbon... Life is full of places to go, people to see, things to get, and services to employ. All of this, out of love. We write the check and don’t look back! We accept the stress and try to convince ourselves that everything will be alright.

After months of feeling the stress and pressure of finding a suitable “Mother of the Bride” dress, I recently ventured out with Gina on my first search. With fear and dread, I entered the formal dress department and from a distance, in the midst of drab, stuffy gowns, I saw a flash of color I liked, walked directly to the dress, touched it, held it, wore it, and then bought it. Finding that dress in five minutes was a high soprano “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” moment and a natural high that lasted all day. No boring, full-length gowns in shades of ugly with those stuffy little Bolero jackets for me! The only acceptable dress is one that moves with me on the dance floor.

Still looking through the bathroom window for Bluebirds and Brown Thrashers on the pond

and Chickadees singing an uproar.

Still, I can’t resist running for my camera when Coop appears in the back yard and I apologize, as this might be the 25th photo of a Coop I'm showing here in the last twelve months. Sorry for the Chickadees, too.

I can’t resist chasing that tease at the grocery store pond. It’s been four years of chasing her, in my car, from one side of the big pond

to the other. It’s been a while since I nailed a good pic of a Belted Kingfisher. In the quiet of my parked car I say, "I'll get you, my pretty..."

This is where I missed a grand shot of a Red-headed Woodpecker. The loss was so painful I felt I might die.

If I allow the time, I can always rely on my spark bird to make a showing. Nice.

Finding a new post from you makes it an instant smile day! Your pictures are always wonderful and I love your narration.

Love YOUR attitude about the MOB dress. You GO, Girl!!!! Not even going to share the color? How's your daughter holding up in the planning?

We finally have bluebirds! We have two feeders with an arched pole and often I look out and see a male bluebird on each pole. There are females, too, but the males must have dips on the pole positions.

It's so wonderful to see a Mary post!! :) I always scan through looking for the Licker Sisters, then go back for the rest. :D It seems impossible that Chloe will be 15!!!! Huge bunches of hugs to the sweet girls. My Bluebirds and Swallows are busy checking on the renovations on the condo rentals and making down-payments on their choice. :) Heard my first Phoebe on March 1. When is the wedding, btw? I somehow have missed that important date---and I'm with Pete---not even a picture of the dress???? ;)

Ah, the wedding. How well I remember. We occasionally balked at some of the pricier things...but all in all, it was worth every penny. And the results--breathtaking and priceless. I still look at the photos and sigh happily.Can't wait to see "the dress" in your pics. Promise you will show it!?

So glad to see you post. Love the pictures of the Licker sisters. Finding your dress on the first try!! WooHoo!! Looking foward to seeing a picture of you wearing it. Take a deep breath and try to relax a little. You deserve it. Lynda in Michigan.

I drive through Blue Bell every day. I noticed near the Broad Ax Tavern today that there were hundreds of huge black birds. I wasn't sure if they were turkey vultures. If you drive through there, have you noticed it? I think they were bigger than crows or ravens.